Wedding Music and Mass
  • youngcatholicgirlyoungcatholicgirl
    Posts: 49
    Hi everyone,

    I realize I fell off the face of the forum a long time ago. Anyway, I'm working on wedding music, but not to play the organ for a wedding -- for my own wedding!!

    I have a handful of questions:
    1. The wedding date is June 28th. If we have a TLM like we're hoping, would we have to use the Mass of the Vigil of Peter and Paul, or could we have the Missa Pro Sponsis et Sponsa? An N.O. Mass would be the Immaculate Heart.
    2. Which Kyriale ought we to use? I'm not sure what the schola at the parish is familiar with as far as chant (it's my fiancé's parish), but I'm inclined to go with Mass VIII if we can.
    3. Are there simple chant settings for the propers of either potential Mass? I don't want to require too much of the schola, they have Christmas and Easter to think about before the wedding.

    Finally, here is what we've picked out for hymns and motets. There's no organ in the church and we have determined we absolutely do not want the piano, so it will be a capella.

    Processional: Holy Holy Holy
    Offertory 1: Ave Generosa (Ola Gjeilo)
    Offertory 2: Ave Maris Stella (chant)
    Communion 1: Ave Verum Corpus (Byrd)
    Communion 2: O Sacrum Convivium (Bartolucci or an arrangement for three women's voices that the schola already knows)
    Flowers for Our Lady: Ave Maria (Archadelt)
    Recessional: All Creatures of Our God and King
    Thanked by 2irishtenor CHGiffen
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,744
    The nuptial Mass always trumps the vigils (or you can’t do a wedding anyway). There are some commemorations under pre-1955. I’m pretty sure that a sung TLM under 1962 is just the nuptial Mass, no commemorations.

    VIII is fine, but in theory you can do any except XVIII (although the customary seasonal ones and XI for Sunday would be a bridge too far for me).

    I would pick just one piece for the offertory etc. And yes, simple propers exist or can be created with psalm tones (Ben Bloomfield’s site would do this quite easily) but… why? They want to sing for the wedding — yours. Or they will be doing so anyway.

    I personally find that being demanding with respect to the details of your own wedding, so long as you are self-aware, to be far different than what we see as bad behavior from a bride in particular and which we normally condemn as church musicians. And really at that point, if it’s the NO, a Gregorian responsorial psalm > a simplified gradual.
    Thanked by 1youngcatholicgirl
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 713
    Having them put together beautiful motets but then psalm-toning the propers is backwards! Propers are more important, as they're part of the Mass itself (I'm sure you know this, so forgive me for preaching to the choir). Congrats on choosing a capella over using the piano; it's absolutely the right choice. I'd recommend Mass IX for the ordinaries.
    Thanked by 6OMagnumMysterium MatthewRoth youngcatholicgirl SirIggle LauraKaz rich_enough
  • vansensei
    Posts: 227
    @trentonjconn -- that's just called the 1950s. ;)
    Thanked by 1trentonjconn
  • youngcatholicgirlyoungcatholicgirl
    Posts: 49
    Does anyone know of a version of Psalm 128 (127) in English but arranged like a gradual? I'd also like to see a Gregorian-style responsorial psalm as well if anyone has one (I'd like to not have the "responsorial" aspect at the wedding but would at the same time like to have one available in case it's insisted upon for some reason).

    And for anyone who's interested, here's our updated (and final if I can help it) wedding music:
    Entrance: Gavotte (Jean-Philippe Rameau) (string quartet)
    Offertory: Ave Generosa (Gjeilo)
    Communion: Ave Verum (Byrd)
    Presentation of flowers: Ave Maria (Beibl)
    Recessional: Theme from Water Music (Handel) (stings) (I feel like that's not its proper name but that's how it was on the repertoire list.)

    The ordinary will be what they do regularly at the parish -- can't think of the number but it's the one N.O. parishes typically use when they do a "chant Mass".
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 496
    Always always always confirm what Mass it will be with the priest who will be saying the Mass. Even if you think you know, confirm anyways.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Roborgelmeister youngcatholicgirl
  • youngcatholicgirlyoungcatholicgirl
    Posts: 49
    Always always always confirm what Mass it will be with the priest who will be saying the Mass.

    Do you mean the propers/feast? I plan to check with him about that at our final meeting later this month, especially since we're getting married on the feast of the Immaculate Heart (for the N.O.). That would change the Psalm, but other than that, am I missing something in regards to the music?
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 713
    Depending on the day, it could change which set of propers is used. For example, I played at a wedding on Saturday during the Octave this year, and (unless my priest was misinformed) the propers and Mass had to be of Easter Saturday as opposed to the Nuptial Mass. Someone more knowledgeable than I am can probably add more to this.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,744
    Correct. I don’t think that any set of rubrics allow you to use other propers (pre-1960 a votive Mass pro re gravi could be said under certain circumstances, but the nuptial Mass was excluded); 1960 and pre-55 have different rules on which feasts’ or other days’ Masses must be said in lieu of the nuptial Mass. The NO is closer to 1960, so you rarely bump the nuptial Mass, but you still have to double check a month or more in advance to give everyone ample time to prepare.
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 496
    Do you mean the propers/feast? I plan to check with him about that at our final meeting later this month, especially since we're getting married on the feast of the Immaculate Heart (for the N.O.). That would change the Psalm, but other than that, am I missing something in regards to the music?

    Back in my schola singing days regardless of what the Liturgical Ordo said, or what had been agreed upon prior for which Mass (ie: transferable feasts) it was not unheard of to spend the week practicing the propers, only to find out the day of the priest decided to say a different Mass.
  • youngcatholicgirlyoungcatholicgirl
    Posts: 49
    We won't have any propers sung (at least we haven't talked about it but they do the Communion antiphon in Latin every Sunday) but this is all a good reminder that I do need to ask about it anyway. Thanks y'all!

    Still looking for English psalms either as graduals or Gregorian reaponsorial psalms regardless.
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 339
    https://www.noelchabanel.org/psalms/A_ord_33/

    May have what you're looking for as regards the responsorial psalmody.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen youngcatholicgirl
  • m_r_taylor
    Posts: 339
    When you say "English Psalm as gradual" I assume you mean, for example, some selection from Psalm 128 but in a more melismatic fashion.

    While of course you can do the Latin gradual https://gregobase.selapa.net/chant.php?id=311 it is not clear whether you may directly "English" the Latin gradual. Meaning, if you are going to stick with English, using the full responsorial Psalm text is probably your least thorny option.

    For another consideration, there are composers out there taking the Responsorial Psalm, making the refrain congregational as expected, but then composing much more melismatic settings of the verses, to echo the spirit of the gradual. I couldn't tell you whether this has already been done for Psalm 128 but it may become an option in the future.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen youngcatholicgirl
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